Today was the day that we planted the tomato and pepper seeds for the Demonstration Garden. Thanks to the Pepper Garden, there are LOTS of peppers this year.

16 varieties of peppers, 12 varieties of tomatoes, 132 pots, 8 flats, almost 5 cu. ft. of potting mix.

Step 1: Fill the pots with potting mix, all the way to the top. I chose to use 3″ pots this year. It gets hard to keep everything watered as it is, without using smaller pots.

Step 2: Write out your labels and put them in the pots. We are using one label per pot this year. All the other systems always result in plants getting mixed up.

Step 3: Make small divots in the center of each pot (as deep as they need to be), and drop the seeds in. Cover the seeds gently and lightly.

Step 4: Water the trays gently several times to make sure that each pot gets thoroughly wet. (Sometimes it is easier to get the soil wet first, and then plant. That can make the seeds stick to your fingers though.)

Step 5: Place in a warm place under lights (or where light will be available in 2-5 days).

Step 6: Watch, wait, and keep the soil moist (not wet!).